On February 19th, Rector Boytchuk-Hale announced this year’s Tricolour award recipients recognizing their outstanding contributions and enduring impact on the Queen’s University Community.  Today, we’re chatting first with the Rector about the awards and then sitting down with each inductee into the Tricolour society, Emils Matiss, Bisola Olaseni, Oluwamisimi Oluwole and Daniel Reddy.

This year’s inductees will be honored on March 27th at the University Club.  Learn more and keep up with the latest by following @queensurector on instagram.

We hope you enjoy our conversations with each of these outstanding individuals who joined us on Campus Beat and CFRC Radio, proudly serving Queen’s University and Kingston since 1922. Thank you for joining us!

]]> Hello and welcome to another special episode of Campus Beat. In this edition, we are chatting with Queen’s University Rector Niki Boytchuk-Hale and each of the 2026 Agnes Benedickson Tricolour Award winners. The Tricolour Award and induction into the Tricolour Society is the highest tribute that can be paid to a Queen’s University student for distinguished service, leadership, character, and community impact during their time at Queen’s.

On February 19th, Rector Boytchuk-Hale announced this year’s Tricolour award recipients recognizing their outstanding contributions and enduring impact on the Queen’s University Community.  Today, we’re chatting first with the Rector about the awards and then sitting down with each inductee into the Tricolour society, Emils Matiss, Bisola Olaseni, Oluwamisimi Oluwole and Daniel Reddy.

This year’s inductees will be honored on March 27th at the University Club.  Learn more and keep up with the latest by following @queensurector on instagram.

We hope you enjoy our conversations with each of these outstanding individuals who joined us on Campus Beat and CFRC Radio, proudly serving Queen’s University and Kingston since 1922. Thank you for joining us!

]]> false no 00:58:43 No no https://podcast.cfrc.ca/podcast/2026-sgps-student-fee-referendum-campaign-profiles/ Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:40:06 +0000 ec20ed80-dc86-5642-85f3-f7c3c91c6f38 Hello and welcome to another special edition of Campus Beat.  It’s Elections and Referenda time at Queen’s University with all manner of student candidates, student clubs, Queen’s University services and a few community organizations currently campaigning for office or for student fees across the AMS and SGPS memberships.  In this episode, the CFRC team got together to read the campaign materials provided by various groups seeking student fees through the SGPS referendum.  Unfortunately, we did not hear back from everyone given the short timeline of release of information from the SGPS about approved groups and were only able to book one interview among the nine organizations on the ballot.  CFRC team members are reading the information provided to us about each group’s campaign in lieu of interviews to provide an opportunity for their message to be heard and they will be read verbatim, sometimes in first person.  It is CFRC’s pleasure and privilege to support candidates and groups campaigning and we thank you for tuning in.  SGPS members are reminded that voting for candidates and student fees takes place on January 29th and 30th.  Watch your Queen’s Emails for ballots and visit sgps.ca for more information about candidates, groups and the elections process.   And now without further ado, we’ll dive in to our interview with Ban Righ Centre about their SGPS student fee campaign followed by the CFRC team reads of campaign profiles for all groups on the ballot.  Thank you for joining us.

AMS members are reminded that voting for candidates and student fees takes place over three days on January 28th, 29th and 30th.  Watch your Queen’s Emails for ballots and visit myams.org for more information about candidates, groups and the elections process.

In the meantime, let’s dive in to a conversation with one of the student clubs running a fee campaign followed by 15 segments featuring discussion of other student groups on the ballot in the AMS referendum.  Thank you for joining us.

Students can learn more about the referendum by visiting myams.org, your student government website, and follow the AMS on instagram @queens_ams.

Inaugurated by the University Council in 1974, the Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have made the University a better place through their extraordinary contributions. Queen’s faculty, staff, students, retirees, and members of University Council, the Queen’s Alumni Association, and the Board of Trustees are invited each year to nominate candidates for a Queen’s Distinguished Service Award.

This years’ recipients include faculty, staff, and volunteers who’ve helped shape Queen’s through years of leadership, mentorship, and behind-the-scenes support.

Of the winners, Principal and Vice Chancellor Patrick Deane said that is  “an incredibly inspiring group of people we’re celebrating with this year’s Distinguished Service Awards,” and “Their passion, commitment, and generosity have made a lasting mark at Queen’s, and we’re all better for it. Principal Deane extended his gratitude and went on to add that the winners “represent the best of our community, and their work is inspiring.”

This years’ winners, Dr. Stephen Archer, Heather Black, Tianna Edwards, Professor Takis Katsabanis, Sandra Murray, and Ann Tierney will soon be honoured at a special reception at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts on November 7th.  Registration for the event is still open via queensu.ca/alumni.

Unfortunately, we were not able to connect with Distinguished Service Award Winner Sandra Murray. Sandra dedicated 37 years of extraordinary service to Queen’s, becoming a cornerstone of the Centre for Teaching and Learning. Starting as a receptionist and progressing to impactful leadership, she played a vital role in supporting faculty and staff, advancing teaching excellence, and fostering a rich academic environment benefitting generations of educators and learners alike. She leaves an enduring legacy defined by steadfast dedication, generosity, and an unparalleled support network vital to Queen’s academic community.

Congratulations to Sandra alongside her Distinguish Service Award Winning peers on their tremendous accomplishments!

This episode is hosted and produced by Nathan Zhe

The Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award (ABTA)—named in honor of Dr. Agnes Benidickson, Queen’s University Chancellor from 1980 to 1996—is the highest honor a Queen’s student can receive. It recognizes exceptional leadership, character, community impact, and distinguished service during their time at Queen’s. Induction into the Tricolour Society is a testament to the profound contributions these individuals have made to the university and its culture.

Queen’s Rector Niki Boytchuk-Hale, herself a Tricolour Award recipient last year, has announced that this year’s Tricolour Awards and Induction Gala will take place on April 4th. As always, CFRC will proudly broadcast the event live from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. To learn more about the awards, register for the ceremony, or explore the legacy of the Tricolour Society, visit queensu.ca/alumni or the Office of the Rector’s website at queensu.ca/rector.

Join us as we dive into a conversation with Rector Niki Boytchuk-Hale and this year’s award winners to discuss their incredible achievements, their impact on Queen’s University life, and what this honor means to them. Tune in for an inspiring episode you won’t want to miss!

Coming up in this episode as part of Campus Beat’s special coverage of AMS and SGPS elections and referenda, we’re pleased to present conversations we held with each of the Clubs and groups running campaigns to establish, increase or continue AMS student fees during the Alma Mater Society’s elections and referenda taking place on January 29th and 30th.  We chatted with or read statements on behalf of 21 fee seeking clubs and groups.  In our first segment, we’ll cover groups seeking to establish a new fee including QHacks, the Ban Righ Centre, the Queen’s Muslim Students’ Association, and the Iranian Student Association.  Thank you for joining us, we hope you enjoy the program.

Welcome to Campus Beat broad and podcasting from CFRC 101.9 FM.  In this episode, host  Dinah Jansen alongisde Abyaz Karim, Jaya Kumar, and Jesse Bell present conversations with  and read statements from clubs and groups seeking to establish, increase, or continue mandatory or optional fees during the SGPS referendum that takes place January 29th and 30th.  All students are reminded that voting occurs online via simply voting and that the AMS and SGPS will send ballots out at 12:01 in the morning on January 29th.  You can learn more about elections processes for both our student governments by visiting SGPS.ca and myAMS.org.  In the meantime, let’s jump in to our conversations with and statement reads for clubs and groups seeking fees during the SGPS referendum.  Thank you for joining us!  

Coming up, we’re pleased to present conversations we held with each of the Candidates running for SGPS Executive Offices in addition to statements our team has read on behalf of those who could not join us in time for broadcast. In this episode, you’ll hear from or about 14 SGPS Executive Candidates including SGPS Trustee Candidates Emils Matiss and Nick Mertin, Presidential Candidate Dawood Tullah, Vice President Community Candidates Ava Fiorino, Claire Dobbie, and Tanya Joseph, and also the Vice President Finance Candidate Oishik Battacharya. After that, you’ll year from or about the Vice President Graduate Candidates Ali Fathi, Ikeolupawo Baruwa, and Surabhi Velagala followed by the Vice President Professional Candidates Amir Shetaia, Destine Lee, Megan Roth, and Rit Nanda.

Thank you for joining us here on CFRC 101.9 FM’s Campus Beat, we hope you enjoy the episode.

While you’re here, check out our coverage of the AMS All Candidates Debate which took place on January 23rd in Goodes Commons!

Thank you for joining us on CFRC’s Campus Beat and our coverage of AMS and SGPS elections and referenda at Queen’s University.  

Unfortunately, technical issues encountered by the AMS technical team on the ground in Goodes Commons led to recording issues leading to the loss of introductory remarks, but also the loss of audio quality and feed for a brief period,  impacting opening remarks for the Candidates for Vice President of University Affairs and several of their responses to questions.  CFRC has taken steps to salvage what content we could for broadcast and we congratulate the AMS tech team on the ground who successfully remediated recording issues about 25 minutes into the debate ensuring the remaining content we will listen to is clear and for furnishing CFRC with the content.  Video of the debate is available on the AMS’s Youtube page audio for this broadcast is also available on CFRC’s Campus Beat podcast via Spotify, Apple Music and podcast.cfrc.ca.

As some content was either not recorded or lost due to technical issues, we encourage you to download the Campus Beat AMS Executive Candidates Interviews via podcast.cfrc.ca, Spotify or Apple Podcasts where you can enjoy a full discussion with the VP University Affairs candidates.

In the meantime, following the condensed remarks by VPUA Candidates Dreyden George and Alyssa Perisa at the top of this episode, we’ll hear opening remarks from the Vice President of Operations Candidate Elena Nurzynski who will then field questions related to the VPOPs portfolio.

After that, we’ll hear opening remarks from the AMS Presidential Candidates Jana Amer and Nico Brasset Duque who will also field questions related to the role of AMS President.

The AMS All Candidates debate was facilitated by moderators Andrew Anderson, AMS Chief Returning Officer, and Rebekha Feldman, AMS Chief Electoral Officer.

Thank you to the AMS technical team for their hard work on the ground on January 23rd in Goodes Commons and for furnishing the recording of this historic event.

Thank you for tuning into CFRC’s Campus Beat today and our coverage of the AMS All Candidates debate.  We hope you enjoy the episode.

SGPS Deputy Speaker Eileen O’Brien facilitated the January 22nd All-Candidates debate as moderator. Following Ms. O’Brien’s brief introduction, we’ll hear introductory remarks from SGPS Trustee Candidates Emils Matiss, a neuroscience PhD Candidate, and Nick Mertin, a graduate student transitioning from Masters to PhD in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Following their introductions, we’ll hear from Vice President Community Candidate Tanya Joseph, a PhD student in the Faculty of Education, followed by VP Graduate Candidate Ali Fathi, PhD candidate in Civil Engineering and then VP Graduate candidate Ikeoluwapo Baruwa, PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Education and Surabhi Velagala, a Master’s student in Public Health Sciences.

Following their remarks, we will hear from the SGPS Presidential Candidate Dawood Tullah, a 2L student in the Faculty of Law student who is running unopposed followed by Oishik Bhattacharya, a Master’s candidate in the Faculty of Law running for VP Finance unopposed.

Then we’ll hear opening remarks from three of the four VP Professional Candidates starting with Destine Lee, a 1L student in Law, followed by Megan Roth, a second year medical student, and Rit Nanda, a PhD Candidate in Environmental Studies. The fourth candidate Amir Shetaia from Electrical and Computer Engineering did not participate in the All Candidates Debate. Two VP Community Candidates Ava Fiorino and Claire Dobbie were also not present for the debate.

Following each candidate’s opening remarks, they will then field prepared questions from the SGPS, then field questions from SGPS members present in the virtual space, and debate with each other on those questions.

Thank you for joining us here on the Campus Beat podcast for our coverage of the SGPS All Candidates debate, we hope you enjoy the program.

Following this discussion, CFRC Campus News Reporter Ali Al-Safadi covers student-led campus news publications, their role in amplifying student voices, fostering creativity, and building a sense of community.

In addition to the official installation ceremony, this special episode also includes remarks by Honorary Degree Recipient Kent Monkman and the conferral of degrees in the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs and the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Welcome and enjoy!

Musical selections curated by Chancellor Rogers for this occasion are available for streaming anytime worldwide via Spotify.

Named in honour of Dr. Agnes Benidickson, former Chancellor of Queen’s University from 1980 to 1996, the Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award (ABTA) and induction into the Tricolour Society is the highest tribute that can be paid to a Queen’s University student for distinguished service, leadership, character, and community impact during their time at Queen’s.

We also interviewed each of this year’s Tricolour winners.  You can check out the conversations here.

Congratulations Niki, Meena, Kyla and Tara!

Named in honour of Dr. Agnes Benidickson, former Chancellor of Queen’s University from 1980 to 1996, the Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award (ABTA) and induction into the Tricolour Society is the highest tribute that can be paid to a Queen’s University student for distinguished service, leadership, character, and community impact during their time at Queen’s.

Outgoing Queen’s Rector Owen Crawford-Lem has issued an invitation to the Tricolour Awards and induction gala to be held at the University Club on April 5th.  CFRC will also be live broadcasting this historic occasion for listeners near and far on its airwaves locally at 101.9 FM in Kingston and via webstream at CFRC.ca.  Learn more by visiting queensu.ca/alumni about how to register for the award ceremony and learn more about the tricolour awards through the Office of the Rector website at queensu.ca/rector.  

Let’s dive in now to our chat with Niki, Meena, Kyla and Tara and learn more about their significant impacts on queen’s university life and culture.  We hope you enjoy the episode.  

Clubs & Community Groups

At the 32 minute mark, listeners will also enjoy the SGPS All Candidates Debate which occurred virtually on January 31st 2024, content of which was furnished to us by the SGPS Elections Team.  Full video of proceedings is available on the SGPS website and their social media.

Then at the 96 minute mark, we are joined by Allison Mei of the Queen’s AMS No Vote 2024 campaign against Team JNN who we interviewed earlier this week and content from which was broadcasted on CFRC 101.9 FM on January 30th and podcasted here. 

Since the time of recording our interviews with the No Vote 2024 campaign and Team JNN, CFRC has learned that Nico Brasset of Team JNN has withdrawn from the AMS executive slate.  While we await word from the AMS elections team on next steps related to the executive election as there is now no qualified slate of candidates to run for executive office, we were able to catch up with Nico Brasset formerly of Team JNN for an exclusive interview responding to questions about the No Campaign and his withdrawal from the AMS executive slate.  Our discussion with Nico starts at the 100 minute mark.

Finally, at the 113 minute mark, we caught up with Queen’s Rector Candidates Leo Yang and Niki Boytchuk Hale who joined us to shed light on their leadership experience, their goals for office, and the importance of voting in AMS and SGPS Elections.

All students at Queen’s University are reminded to watch their emails (including their junk folders) for ballot information from their respective student governments so they may cast their votes.  More information about AMS and SGPS elections can be found at myams.org and sgps.ca.

For more information about this year’s AMS elections and referenda, visit myams.org.  Voting happens February 6th-7th.

Stay tuned to CFRC 101.9 FM/cfrc.ca for further interviews with SGPS Executive Candidates, Rector Candidates, and fee-seeking club representatives on the referendum ballot.  More podcasts to come!

We were able to catch up with Emils Matiss, Simran Sharma, Katie Zutautas, Zaid Kassim, and Maya Kawale who joined us to chat about their leadership experience, their campaign platforms for their respective SGPS positions, and the importance of student engagement with the voting process. Unfortunately, we were not able to meet with Julia Tropak running for VP Graduate, but you can find information about their platform, and all candidate platforms at SGPS.ca and hear more from everyone at tonight’s SGPS debate live at the zoom credentials below which CFRC will also rebroadcast and podcast in the coming days. 

SGPS Executive Debate, 6 PM, January 31st

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89450077580?pwd=NWlra1BxOUY0eVdtcTlFVnd2UzJzUT09

Meeting ID: 894 5007 7580

Passcode: 866930

Also in this episode, CFRC Campus News Liaison Erika Singh features campus news headlines and a conversation with Amy Simcoe, a student at Queen’s University who discusses the Queen’s Social Impact Association’s initiatives.

• “Remembering Forgotten Stories in the Archives: A Life in Papers-Allie Vibert Douglas, a project conducted by Rhianna Wood, Victor Drazilov and Emily Ritonja and supported by Ken Hernden of the Queen’s University Archives.
• Pungavi Linghan’s paper “Analyzing the Cultural Shift in South India: The Legacy of the East India Company” undertaken with faculty support from Dr. Robert Hyland at Bader College.
• “Addressing Financial Barriers to Higher Education” by Floor Nusselder, Adrianna Armstrong, Alyssa Giovannangeli, Yanzin Xu and Hannah Burrows who also discuss an innovative, equitable, and accessible module-based program that helps connect students with untapped surpluses of available scholarship money to fund their education.

Next week, we’ll have two more conversations with winning presenters!

On March 23rd 2023, Queen’s University announced that Laura Devenny (Artsci’23), Samara Lijiam (Artsci’23), Jane Mao (Artsci’21, MEd’23), and Nishana Ramsawak (PhD’24), have each been named recipients of the 2023 Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award.

One of the most prestigious student honours at Queen’s, the Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award is given annually by the Office of the Rector to students “for valued and distinguished service, leadership, character, and community impact.”

This year’s recipients will be officially inducted into the Tricolour Society during a ceremony on June 17.

“The impact the recipients have had on the Queen’s community – through their volunteerism, their leadership, and their commitment to their fellow students is exceptional,”  Rector Owen Crawford-Lem told the Gazette. “Laura, Samara, Jane, and Nishana embody the best aspects of the Queen’s community and their compassion and care serve as examples for all students.”

Learn more about the Tricolour Awards from Rector Crawford-Lem while checking in with each of this year’s winners about their distinguished contributions to their community at Queen’s University.

About the winners:

Laura Devenny

Devenny has served students in various leadership roles with the Alma Mater Society (AMS), including chief electoral officer, secretary of internal affairs, and most recently as chair of the Board of Directors. The fifth-year political studies major helped create a more accessible and engaging student government with compassionate and inclusive leadership.

Samara Lijiam

A passionate advocate for equity and social change, Lijiam’s campus involvement includes the Social Issues Commission, the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS), the Queen’s Black Academic Society (QBAS), and the Queen’s Student Alumni Association (QUAA), where Lijiam currently serves as president.

Jane Mao

As a Master of Education candidate, Mao creates spaces of joy for marginalized students to thrive. As the founder of the Gender Affirming Assistance Project, equity commissioner with the Society for Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS), co-chair of the Social Healing and Reconciliatory Education research cluster, and more, Mao’s personal and professional work is characterized by direct action, mutual aid, and compassion.

 Nishana Ramsawak

Ramsawak is a fourth-year civil engineering PhD candidate researching factors affecting water quality degradation in drinking-water distribution systems. Ramsawak has contributed to the enhancement of equity, diversity, and inclusivity on campus as one of the first Graduate Inclusivity Fellows and as an instructor for Black youth in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), where Ramsawak helps create a safe space for racialized children to learn about STEM. Ramsawak is also the founder of a charity drive called Helping Handbags, Kingston, which provides feminine and essential items for vulnerable homes in the area.

With us in this episode to discuss goals and outcomes of COP27 and to provide insights on policy and finance for green energy are Dr. Warren Mabee, Professor in Geography and Planning, Director of the School of Policy Studies and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science along with Dr. Ryan Riordan, Smith School of Business Professor & Distinguished Professor of Finance and Director of Research for the Institute for Sustainable Finance.

Established October 7th 1922, CFRC started as an experimental station 9BT broadcasting a post-game summary of a Queen’s Tricolor-Hamilton Rowing Club exhibition football game.  From its original home in Fleming Hall at Queen’s University to Carruthers Hall, its current home, several thousand student and community volunteers have continued to produce the most diverse mix of music and spoken word programming in the region.

Featuring indie, jazz, pop, blues, folk, punk, metal, experimental and more, CFRC’s volunteers bring their curatorial skills to the airwaves daily, exposing listeners to music they cannot access on Top 40 stations.  Volunteers also produce innovative spoken word programming including shows like Aboriginal Voices, Gender Talk, CFRC Prison Radio and live Gaels Football coverage while the station also supports numerous projects for campus and community partners, broadcasting and podcasting their content and helping them reach new audiences.

CFRC counts CBC’s Shelagh Rogers and Stu Mills, Hockey Night in Canada’s Chris Cuthbert, Lorne Greene (Bonanza, Battlestar Galactica) among its most notable alumni.  Rogers returned to Kingston in June 2022 to give a keynote address at the National Campus/Community Radio Association Conference CFRC hosted this year.

Former CFRC Station Manager Steve Cutway will join Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen and MPP Ted Hsu, City of Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, Queen’s University Principal and Vice Chancellor Patrick Deane and Alex Freedman, Executive Director of the Community Radio Fund of Canada for the unveiling.  CFRC Executive Director Dinah Jansen and CFRC’s Board President Daniel Beals will host the event.

Cutway will unveil the plaque and also present two achievement awards to Jim Birch and Wayne Vermette, two longstanding station volunteers who are each celebrating over 40 years of consecutive broadcasting at CFRC’s airwaves.

“It’s both a pleasure and a privilege to welcome Mr. Cutway back to CFRC alongside our other distinguished guests at this historic event,” says Jansen.

“Their participation underscores the deep roots CFRC has long nurtured on campus and in the Kingston community and also the enduring connections our station maintains with our alumni near and far.”

Student representatives and volunteers, community volunteers and visiting CFRC alumni are expected to join in the festivities.  Following the 1 PM ceremony, the station will be open for a small reception and station tours, and a Meet and Greet event will take place at the Grad Club (162 Barrie Street) where ceremony attendees can mingle.  The Grad Club will also host the unveiling ceremony on its second floor in case of bad weather starting at 1 PM.

“CFRC staff and volunteers are so excited to welcome our alumni back to their old stomping grounds,” says Jansen.  “What an extraordinary opportunity to share stories, to forge new friendships and to rekindle some old ones across generations.

Queen’s faculty, staff, students, retirees, elected, appointed, ex officio or honorary members of of University Council, the Queen’s Alumni Association, and the Board of Trustees are invited each year to nominate candidates for a Queen’s Distinguished Service Award. Inaugurated by the University Council in 1974, this award recognizes individuals who have made the University a better place through their extraordinary contributions.

This year’s Distinguished Service Award Winners are Leslie Dal Cin, Leslie Flynn, Dan Langham, Jim Leech, Donald Raymond and Kimberly Woodhouse.  We had the opportunity to catch up with five of six of the winners and learn more about their service contributions and what motivates them to make Queen’s a better place.

Our first conversation is with Chancellor Emeritus Jim Leech, former Trustee and Chair of University Council, enthusiastic presider over convocation ceremonies, and a generous philanthropist, who has profoundly impacted the lives of countless students and enriched the university community with his dedicated and tireless service.

Following our chat with Jim, we sit down with Dr. Kimberly Woodhouse, Former, and first female, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Interim Vice-Principal (Research).  Leading the way as well as a professor, innovator, leader of transformational change in engineering education, advocate for cultivating the link between teaching, research, and industry, Dr. Woodhouse has also earned a Distinguished Service award for the instrumental role she has played in the vision and realization of world-class research facilities at Queen’s.

We also welcomed Emeritus Chair Donald Raymond of the Queen’s University Board of Trustees, Queen’s alumnus, and volunteer extraordinaire, who remains committed to principles of collegial governance and who fostered strong relationships with student leaders, resulting in fundamental changes to responsible investment strategies, decarbonization, and climate action at the university.

After our time with Don, we sat down  with Dr. Leslie Flynn, Vice Dean (Education, Faculty of Health Sciences), Queen’s alumna, professor, exceptional educator, researcher, mentor, and leader of the pursuit, improvement, and championing of education at all levels, and who is dedicated to the fundamental transformation of medical education, and whose accomplishments and legacy will impact students, faculty, and staff for years to come.

And finally, we were also joined by Dan Langham, Director of Environmental Health and Safety at Queen’s University since 1999, a trusted advisor, developer of policies, programs, and services to promote a healthy workplace, a champion of health and safety on campus, and who was instrumental in the University’s response to the global pandemic while providing steadfast guidance and leadership in navigating the complexities of safety during an unprecedented time.

Thank you for tuning into our  Campus Beat Podcast Special featuring conversations with Queen’s University Distinguished Service Award Winners.  The episode also airs at 6 PM on October 27th on CFRC 101.9 FM/cfrc.ca. Learn more about these awards on the Queen’s university Secretariat website via queensu.ca.

In the next segment, we chat with Jessica Rosales and Lauren Fourney, who along with their peers Frank Yang and Emma Patterson, presented a paper at this year’s Inquiry@Queen’s conference in March titled “Music Theatre on Zoom: Significance in Integrating Virtual Performance in the Lives of Older Adults.”  We learn about their inspirations and collaborative research process to explore how participant-observer experiences can inform  practices as performing musicians, music educators, and researchers in virtual settings.

Uruk, also known as Warka, is an ancient Mesopotamian site in modern Iraq that has been the focus of archaeological exploration for over 165 years. Excavations at Uruk have revealed cultural remains from the Eridu period (ca. 5000 BCE) until the Parthian and Sasanian periods (ca. first and second centuries CE). The site is a key point of reference for understanding the development of early urbanisation, writing, architecture, production, and social structure. Over 165 years, changing politics, methods of archaeology and attitudes towards antiquities have affected the way the site was handled. My project focuses on those critical changes which reveal the evolution of archaeology from a Western-dominated affair to a more inclusive practice. In this presentation, I will discuss and evaluate the history of archaeological work and attitudes towards antiquities at Uruk with an emphasis on the teams that excavated there, their methods of excavation, the conditions of the permits they were given, and significant finds and their subsequent distribution. The analysis will be divided into historical time periods (from the Ottoman Period to Iraq after the US-led invasion of 2003) based on the modern history of this region. Governmental and professional policies are also explored in regard to antiquities laws, methods of archaeology and local versus foreign involvement.

In our first segment, we chat with one of Dr. Varadharajan’s ENGL 421 students, Sydney Faour, 4th Year Con-Ed student and a top presenter at this year’s I@Q.

Faour shares much about her presentation, “Combatting the Literary Canon through Performance.”  Ophelia’s Last Word(s),  a rap performance by Faour re-examined the literary canon by combatting the trope of “fair and fragile” women.​ Written for Dr. Varadharajan’s English 421 course on adapting Shakespeare, this presentation/performance explored the role of women in Hamlet to offer a new voice to the archetypal shadow maiden, Ophelia. Among many concerns, Faour’s rap questions why audiences contemplate Hamlet’s madness but presume Ophelia’s to be authentic. In Faour’s view, we reinforce harmful gender representations when viewing Shakespeare’s women with a traditional and canonical lens. Examining women as codependent on male figures, emotional, and inept is a lens that perpetuates this standard for modern audiences. Adaptation provides an opportunity to re-envision these women and their fate. 

In the next segment, Arishya Aggarwal chats with Tara Temeng in a lecture hall on campus about her role in QPID and what’s happening for its Youth Conference this spring.

The award is named in honour of Dr. Agnes Benidickson who was Chancellor of Queens University from 1980 until 1996.

In the absence of an elected Rector at Queen’s University this year, the Tricolour Awards committee was co-chaired by AMS President Zaid Kasim, and Peter Brickell, the AMS Director of Marketing.

In our first segment, we chat with Zaid Kasim about the Tricolour Committee’s work and the importance of this award.  Following our chat with Kasim, we talk with each of this year’s Tricolour Society inductees, Ishita Aggarwal, Morgan Lehtinen, Alyth Roos and Max Moloney about their many contributions to the Queen’s community.

In this segment, we chat with Crawford-Lem about his inspirations to run for the highest student office at Queen’s University and what he expects to accomplish during his 2 year term.  He also sheds light on the Tricolour Awards, which we will cover in our next episode when we chat with this year’s winners.

We are also joined by the western and Indigenous Two-Eyed Seeing Astronomy event speakers, Professor Dave Hanes of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy at Queen’s University and Melanie Demers, instructor of Indigenous Astronomy from Six Nations and raised in Aylmer Quebec.  Demers and Hanes discuss the meaning of western and Indigenous astronomy and the contributions that seeing through ‘two (Western & Indigenous) eyes’ can make toward greater understanding of our universe.

In this segment, we’re chatting with Don Drummond, Stauffer Dunning Fellow and Adjunct Professor in Policy studies about nearly record-low unemployment rates in Canada and how the labour market has crashed into the federal government’s guardrails.

Joining us to discuss cultural monuments in Ukraine, especially in the UNESCO cities of Kyiv and Lviv is Dr. Gauvin Baily, an expert in Ukrainian Baroque architecture from the Department of Art History and Art Conservation.  Welcome Gauvin.  He discusses UNESCO World Heritage Sites generally, those located in Kyiv and Lviv, and what has happened elsewhere when such monuments are damaged or destroyed.

Photo: Saint-Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv, Ukraine courtesy of UNESCO

In this roundtable discussion, our guests explore the question of the Russian invasion’s broad impacts thru a variety of lenses including international law, regional stability, foreign policy and trade, NATO strategy and more.

In particular, they discuss the following questions:

How is this war justified by the Russian state but also unjustified from the perspectives of the international community let alone international law?

What is the current military situation in Ukraine and the impact on civilian people, governance, trade and infrastructure?

What has NATO’s strategy been toward Russia and Ukraine and how has it evolved since the invasion?

What are some of the implications for regional stability especially with the mass movement of people?

Do international sanctions go far enough? What are the intended goals and potentially unforeseen consequences?  Can sanctions be enforced in such a way as to ensure success in this scenario? Can Russia survive sanctions?

What has Canada’s position been toward the war and how has this war modified its trade or defence policies?

In its goal to make Kingston smart, livable, and leading, the City of Kingston challenged students to present innovative ideas that will guide the city to its goal of making Kingston a better place to live, work, and play. The hope is to identify and ultimately retain these talented students to make a positive impact in their careers and Kingston.

In this episode we first chat with Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson about the pitch competition and internships inception and goals.  We also speak with each of the winners in each of the competition’s two streams.  In our second segment following our chat with Mayor Paterson, we learn about the pitch and project Salvador Lara Rodriguez and Sean McKnight of St. Lawrence College will bring with them through the Dunin-Deshpande Smart Kingston Stream this year.  In our third segment, we also chat with Ethan Fung and Kieran D’Mello (ComSoc ’22) about their Public Sector Innovation Stream pitch.

Dunin-Deshpande stream winners will have the opportunity to participate in a four-month incubator program with the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre. The winning pitch also earns a $7,000 stipend for up to three co-founders as well as seed capital, as much as $4,000, to develop the winning concept. They will also gain full participation in the Queen’s Innovation Centre Summer Initiative (QICSI 2022) program, which includes the chance to pitch in August for a grand prize of $30,000.

The Public Sector Innovation Stream receives a four-month paid internship within one of the City of Kingston’s municipal departments. City staff will also provide the individual or team with resources and mentorship opportunities. An additional perk to winning the Public Sector stream is the exposure to ongoing City of Kingston projects and the chance to gain government experience.

For more information about the Mayor’s Fifth Annual Innovation Challenge Pitch, visit the Mayor’s Innovation Challenge website.

In this special extended Campus Beat episode, we’re chatting with several Queen’ University scholars about the latest UN climate change report.

In our first segment, we sit down with with Prof. Marcus Taylor – Head of the Department of Global Development Studies and also a contributing author to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report – about the report and his work wihin related to the issue of climate change maladaptation.

Our second segment begins around the 29 minute mark.  There, we are joined by Ed Struzik, Fellow at the Queen’s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy in the School of Policy Studies and also the 2022 Jarislowsky Fellow at the University of Waterloo.  He chats with us about the UN’s IPCC climate change report findings related to wildfires, a phenomenon identified as a top threat to Canada.

Distinguished University Professor, Dr. John Smol from the Department of Biology joins us in our third segment around the 36 minute mark.   He chats with us about ecological and environmental issues covered in the report related to flooding and water quality in addition to broader thoughts on the historical ‘snooze button’ set by policy-makers on the climate action clock.

Pulmonary hypertension is an often under-recognized chronic disease that involves a congestion of blood supply in the lungs and heart, and is associated with other life-threatening diseases like heart failure.

We welcome Dr. Don Thiwanka Wijeratna from the Department of Medicine here at Queen’s University to discuss the new algorithm, its development and impact in the first segment.

In the second segment (20:27) we’re discussing the introduction of a Canada’s first Master’s level training program in Infection prevention and Control here at Queen’s University in partnership with IPAC Canada.  We chat with Dr. Bradley Stoner, Professor in the Department of Medicine and Head of the Department of Public Health Sciences alongside Gerry Hansen, Executive Director of IPAC Canada about the new program and the demand for trained infection prevention and control professionals.

In the first segment, Deborah Melman-Clement, Senior Development Writer , Marketing, Communications, and Donor Relations in the Office of Advancement at Queen’s University joins us.  She chats Alumni Review’s new podcast, Cause and Effect, a new series exploring Queen’s philanthropists’ motivations and passions in addition to the broad influence they have worldwide.  Check out the podcast here!

In our second segment, we’re chatting about the Union Gallery’s Cezanne’s Closet Gala coming virtually on February 19th with Abby Nowakowki, UG’s Administrative & Communications Coordinator alongside Cezanne’s 2022 Co-Curators, Maggie Whitmore and Katie Heatherington, both current Master’s Candidates in the Art History Program.  Lot’s to learn about this perennially popular gala fundraiser and its goals! More info and tickets available on UG’s website.

With the Beijing Winter Olympics  underway as of February 4th, in this episode we chat with three scholars about the Olympics beyond the spectacle of sport.  In our first segment, we sit down with with Dr. David Murakami-Wood, Director of the Surveillance Studies Centre about the surveillance implications arising from the my2022 app used by all attendees at this year’s Olympics.  Then we discuss the use of artificial snow at this year’s games and what the usage suggests about climate change and the future of winter sport with Distinguished Professor John Smol from the Department of Biology.  In our last segment, we discuss Russia’s relations with China and how the Olympics might determine the former’s strategy at Ukraine’s borders with Dr. Thomas Hughes, a recent graduate from the Department of Political Studies.

The partnership will engage the expertise and innovative thinking of students in multiple programs across the Faculties of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Faculty of Arts and Science here at Queen’s. As part of the 2021-22 curriculum, special projects in these programs will be designed to tackle structural and conceptual challenges with the aim of bringing this artwork to life in a public setting.

World-renowned photographer Dr. Edward Burtynsky and Dr. Kevin Deluzio, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science join us in this episode to discuss this exciting new project.  Burtynsky sheds light on his inspirations and vision for the project, the expansion of his artistic practice into the third dimension, and the collaborative opportunities this project lends.  Deluzio expands on the collaborations for FEAS and FAS faculty and students, including compelling opportunities to problem-solve and apply applied science to artistic craft.

Visit QFLIP online to learn more!

In the next segment, we chat with two more undergraduate students, Zoe Mack and Aidan Gurung, both of whom participated in the Undergraduate Student Summer Research Fellowships (USSRF) program. From Mack and Gurung, we learn more about their inspirations to apply, how they did so, the research they conducted, the skills they gained and also what they hope they will do to mobilize their learning moving forward.

New applications for the USSRF program are open with a deadline of Tuesday March 1st.  In this year’s program, 19 fellowships of $6000 are available on campus between May and August and 2 fellowships of $5000 are available at the Bader International Study Centre at Herstmonceux Castle from May through July.  The Fellowships provide experiential learning opportunities for continuing undergraduate students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at Queen’s University to participate in social sciences, humanities and/or creative arts research under the supervision of a Queen’s faculty member.  Further, the fellowship program is intended to provide students with meaningful opportunities to engage in discovery-based learning and to develop their research and presentation skills.

More information about USSRF and application guidelines are available on the Queen’s University Vice Principal Research Portfolio website here.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Cathleen Crudden, Organic, Organometallic and Materials Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Queen’s University, Canada Research Chair in Metal Organic Chemistry and the lead researcher on this New Frontiers project. From Dr. Crudden, we learn more about the problems and potential solutions she and her team have identified in preserving the longevity of metals, the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in undertaking research on this project, and the anticipated impacts for both industry and the research field.

Earlier this fall, the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) at Queen’s University launched Dean Jane Philpott’s Cinq à Sept Research Talks. The monthly series, which will showcase innovations in health research at Queen’s, is like nothing FHS has hosted before and is modeled on the French tradition of gathering at the end of the workday.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Mary Ann McColl, Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and Associate Director, Health Services Research and Policy Institute followed by a chat with Dr. Chris Booth, Professor in the Departments of Oncology and Public Health Sciences and Canada Research Chair in Population Cancer Care.  Our discussions focus on themes arising from their respective talks entitled “The Ten Stories: Intergenerational Conversations” and “The Emperor Has No clothes: Finding our Way again in Cancer Care,” that were delivered at the inaugural Cinq à Sept Research Talks event on October 27th 2021.

*photo courtesy of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The program launched in September 2020. It provides students and recent graduates from African universities within the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program with the opportunity to apply to a free virtual entrepreneurship training program delivered by Queen’s University’s DDQIC Program. Through this program, award-winning faculty and some of the best innovators, policymakers, and business strategists collaborate to support students to become Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellows. During the 2020-2021 Academic year, 1,252 students participated, and more than 60 percent of the cohort were women, recognizing the additional barriers women face when starting a business or seeking employment in Africa.

Prospective fellows receive access to a curated list of online entrepreneurship courses developed at DDQIC and work through the Disciplined Entrepreneurship Framework developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The fellowship is designed to address unemployment among post-secondary graduates by equipping thousands of students and recent graduates with sufficient entrepreneurial training to initiate and continue to grow their businesses.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of chatting first with Titose Chembezi at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.  She was the $5000 prize at the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre DDQIC Summer Pitch Competition and said the pitch experience provided her with a boost of confidence.

Following our chat with Chembezi, we sit down again with Jim Leech, member of the Order of Canada, former Chair of the Board of Directors of the Mastercard Foundation and, of course, Chancellor Emeritus of Queen’s University about the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship for African Students.

The applications for the upcoming academic year close on Dec. 10, 2021. Learn more about the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship and complete your application today.

For application inquiries, please contact: Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre Megan Sieroka Program Coordinator at the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship for African Students 

jimleechfellowship@queensu.ca

On November 25th, Queen’s University announced that one of it’s neurosurgeons, Dr. Teresa Purzner has been named one of Canada’s top 40 under 40, an annual leadership award that recognizes exceptional achievement by 40 outstanding Canadians who are under 40 years of age.  Dr. Purzner joins us to chat about her research achievements and teaching with Department of Neurosurgery and as an attending physician at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre in addition to her co-founding of the baby food brand, Cerebelly.

Then Jane Hutchings joins us.  Hutchings, a recent graduate from the Commerce program at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, has been selected as a 2022 Rhodes Scholar, earning this prestigious scholarship to the University of Oxford worth more than $100,000 that covers postgraduate study costs including tuition, fees and living expenses.  She chats about her many leadership initiatives as a Queen’s student and how she’ll build on these at Oxford during her Master’s studies.

Dr. Richardson talks about the upcoming George and Maureen Ewan lecture to be delivered by Dr. Juna Kollmeier on November 29th at the McDonald Institute, shedding light on how the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and its use of  spectra reveals much information that helps map and decode the history of the cosmos.

Tauskela then joins us to chat about the recent spate of mudslides caused by record-breaking rainfall and highwinds in the lower southcoast mainland area of British Columbia.  She discusses her own research triggering mudslides at the Queen’s coastal engineering lab near Richardson stadium and how such research can help determine pathways land and mudslides can take.

We also learn more about Bader Day celebrations Dan took part in and the Bader family’s most recent gifts to Queen’s including 12 17th century Dutch paintings to Agnes Etherington Art Centre; Nine Leica S9i microscopes to help students in the Queen’s Art Conservation program examine and treat cultural artifacts; and funding that will allow for the creation of a new Outdoor Gathering Space modelled after an Ojibway round house and the endowment of a new full-time, permanent Curator, Indigenous Arts and Culture at Agnes.

Tune in, learn more about what drives the Bader family’s continued legacy of philanthropy at Queen’s and enjoy!

The Lovelands join us in this episode to chat about their inspirations to support STEM students at Queen’s generally and Indigenous students in particular and shed light on the need to build a stronger Indigenous STEM community in addition to the impact they hope their endowment will have.

In the first segment, we chat with Dr. Samuel Dahan from the Faculty of Law and Director of the Conflict Analytics Lab about his lab’s new Vaccine Mediator – a new COVID-19 vaccine online dispute resolution tool – and its development and implementation conducted in collaboration with researchers at Oxford University, University College Dublin, and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Vaccine Mediator is an innovative third-party system that enables individuals to register potential side-effects and receive fast and reliable information about available compensation options. Leveraging an AI-powered legal aid platform, it pre-assesses compensation eligibility, provides a customized report and an easy to understand guide to help individuals submit a pre-drafted claim to the relevant government agency.

In the next segment around the 14:24 mark, we are joined by Dr. Maha Othman from the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Science.  Dr. Othman’s groundbreaking 2007 research on blood clots and adenovirus has recently been cited in numerous scholarly articles on vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is an extremely rare side effect that happens in a subset of the population following AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations.  From Othman, we learn about the research, its current applications in theory and scientific practice.

In the first portion of this episode, we chat with Professor John Berry about his lengthy and distinguished research and his election to the Royal Society as a Fellow.

After that, we chat with Haley Galsworthy, a new Queen’s student and recipient of the prestigious Schulich Leaders’ Scholarship. The Schulich Leader Scholarships, worth up to $100,000, were launched in 2012 by Canadian businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich to help identify the next generation of Canada’s brightest potential leaders in STEM.

Inaugurated by the University Council Executive Committee in 1974, the Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have made the university a better place through their exemplary service and extraordinary contributions. The University Council was established by statute in 1874. It is one of the three governing bodies of the Queen’s University and all elective members are elected by and from Queen’s alumni. The University Council serves as both an advisory and an ambassadorial body to the university as a whole and is responsible for the election of the Chancellor.

In our conversations here, we chat with

• Jacquie Brown: Long-serving Program Assistant (Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering), committed to compassionate and tailored student support, safety on campus and continuous training resulting in widespread positive impact on the lives of students, faculty, and staff.
• Jan Allen: Queen’s alumna, Director of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, augmented the Centre’s exhibitions, publications and acquisitions while promoting collaborative curatorial and research work, nationally recognized curator and arts leader. (Beginning at 12 minute mark)
• Lucinda Walls Public Services Librarian, expert in art and music reference materials, educator on information literacy and invaluable resource to students and faculty within Art History, Fine Arts, Music, and Drama, with profound impact across the Queen’s community. (Beginning around 23 minute mark)
• Richard Reznick: Former Dean (Faculty of Health Sciences), Director (School of Medicine), and CEO (Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization), pioneer of innovative educational programs, internationally renowned medical education expert, and leader of transformative change. (Beginning around the 37 minute Mark)

Listeners are advised that this podcast contains triggering content related to residential schools, day schools, Indigenous childhood trauma and abuse.

We also share audio furnished to us by the Queen’s University Secretariat covering the ceremony at which Dr. Mason was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law on October 5th 2021 recognizing his work in fighting for the rights of residential school survivors.

Doctor Mason, a residential and Indian Day school survivor has also published a riveting memoir, Spirit of the Grassroots People: Seeking Justice for Indigenous Survivors of Canada’s Colonial Education System available through McGill-Queen’s University Press.

In his conversation, Dr. Mason also revealed that he has been diagnosed with a terminal illness for which treatment is unavailable to him in Canada due to his age while treatment in the United States is prohibitively expensive.  A fundraising campaign has been initiated to help Dr. Mason raise funds for treatment.  We have added the link to this fundraiser with Dr. Mason’s permission.

To get in touch with Dr. Mason about Spirit Wind Inc. and its ongoing work, please visit his facebook page.

Photo from Dr. Mason’s facebook page.

In the first segment, we chat with Patricia Smithen, Director, Master of Art Conservation program at Queen’s.   She shares much with us about Art Conservation, the art of the science, conservators’ roles in the translation of cultural artifacts, and of course, the exciting new internship opportunity aimed at engaging Indigenous and Black students in the Master of Art Conservation program, an initiative launched in partnership with the National Gallery of Canada’s Diversity Internship program.

In the second segment at the 15:36 mark, we jump into another lively conversation with Sara Franca, Executive Director, Alumni Strategy.  Franca shares a lot of detail about the impressive list of activities Queen’s Alumni worldwide can enjoy October 14th-17th 2021.  We also learn more about how Alumni can register and learn more about Homecoming events and thus reconnect with their Alma Mater and fellow alum around the world.

Have you registered!  Learn more here!

]]> https://podcast.cfrc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Wednesday-at-530-on.png false no 0:00 No no https://podcast.cfrc.ca/podcast/conversations-with-new-royal-society-inductees/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 13:59:15 +0000 https://podcast.cfrc.ca/?p=9512 On Tuesday September 7th, Queen’s University announced that four of its researchers have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada, one of the highest academic honours for Canadian scholars in arts, humanities and sciences.  Professor emeritus John Berry has received the honour of Fellowship, while professors Heather Castleden, Karen Lawford, and Sari van Anders have been elected to the College of New Scholars, Scientists and Artists. This diverse group has research specialties ranging from Indigenous health policy, cross-cultural psychology, and gender/sex research to community and participatory-based research with Indigenous communities.

In this episode, we chat with Drs. Karen Lawford (Gender Studies) and Sari van Anders (Psychology) about their teaching and research passions and their election to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Scientists, and Artists.  The College, currently at over 300 members, aims to foster the emerging generation of intellectual leadership in Canada and its members are selected for their artistic, scholarly or research excellence.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Spencer about his ground-breaking research about the earth, its crust and mountain-building events in the mid-Proterozoic period. We also get the scoop on how the science is done in the field and the implications for Spencer’s research for understanding Earth’s evolution let alone long-term climate change or the availability of natural resources such as minerals.

Lovely and inspiring, this cheerful conversation pairs well with a pot of tea and music by Sadaf Amini!

In the first episode of Season Four of Campus Beat, Korey Pasch, PhD Candidate in Political Studies at Queen’s University joins us to chat about this disaster, the tensions and interactions revealed by it and COVID-19, political responses and lasting impacts.

Following Queen’s University’s announcement that the Honourable Murray Sinclair will become the 15th Chancellor commencing in July, we sat down with the 14th Chancellor, Jim Leech.  This extended episode features a joyful conversation with Jim about the many roles he’s played, the highlights and happy memories of his time as Chancellor, what he loves so much about Queen’s University and its community near and far, and the low down on the ‘Curious Case of the Missing Convocation Cap.’

Though not covered in our conversation with Chancellor Leech, Queen’s Alumni may be interested to learn that there is a campaign underway to support the Jim Leech Ceilidh Centre Campaign that will support the revitalization of the John Deutsch University Centre (affectionately known as The JDUC), home of student activities, engagement and governance on campus.

In this episode of Campus Beat, we’re doing by Dr. Michael Shepertycky, lead author of the study and Dr. Qingguo Li, co-senior author of the study and Associate Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen’s University.  They share much with us about their research inspirations, details on what research and development actually looks like behind the scenes in addition to details about the exoskeleton device, how it works, its benefits and implications for everyday living and future research.

Unlike existing exoskeleton technologies that either add energy or transfer it from one phase of the gait cycle to another, this new device assists users by removing energy which helps the knee muscles during a critical moment—called the terminal swing phase.

Sherptycky and Li’s multidisciplinary team envisages the technology—which weighs just over half a kilogram—enabling hikers to walk longer distances or helping nurses be less tired after a long shift on their feet.

In addition to assisting the user, the device converts the removed energy into electricity that can be used to power the device’s control system and other portable devices. This energy harvesting capability could be particularly useful for individuals travelling on foot in remote locations, allowing them to charge cellular phones or GPS devices. Yan-Fei Liu, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and co-author of the study, also led the development of the device’s power electronics.

The team’s interdisciplinary approach included elements of walking biomechanics, physiology, human-machine interactions, and design innovation. Much of this research was conducted in the Human Mobility Research Centre, a Queen’s/Kingston Health Sciences Centre facility equipped with world-class gait analysis technology.

Put your feet up for a fun conversation and enjoy the program!

Stu and Kim join us in this episode of Campus Beat to chat about their time at Queen’s, their moves to Edmonton and back to Oakville and Guelph through Stu’s illustrious sporting career.  We also chat about Richardson Stadium and the many benefits for players, teams, students and spectators can enjoy with the construction of the new pavilion.  We even get a better understanding of the importance of modernized equipment and facilities for athletes and some perspective on Stu’s experience transitioning from playing as a 5-time Grey Cup winning wide receiver to becoming a respected coach.  A joyful conversation with two very enthusiastic alumni! Cha Gheill!

Following analysis in the Analytical Services Unit at Queen’s University,  arsenic trioxide was identified using the Scanning Electron Microscope in the Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering. The study found arsenic trioxide in 80 percent of samples as far as 30 km away from Yellowknife. The research was published in The Science of the Total Environment

Currently, the Yellowknife  Dene First Nation is asking the federal government for an apology and compensation for the damage from Giant Mine to their traditional lands.

In this episode, we have the great pleasure and privilege of welcoming His Honor to the virtual studio for a chat about his lifelong activism and advocacy for Indigenous communities across Canada, his work on TRC and the Senate of Canada, the experience of becoming Chancellor and of course, the goals our new Chancellor-Designate has in mind for his upcoming term.

In this episode of Campus Beat, we’re chatting with Alex McKinnon, Sci ’21 and co-President of QUCraft, the Queen’s Minecraft Team as well as with Kevin Deluzio, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

From them, we learn about the Minecraft club, how Queen’s campus is being rebuilt in the Minecraft space, and how students and alumni can participate in this ongoing building effort. We also learn more about how the virtual campus came to become a fun, interactive segment of the Faculty’s recruitment campaign this year, what prospective students did on the tour, and what conversations emerged.

Dr. Courtney Szto of the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University is an expert in activist driven research that explores the relationship between physical cultures and intersectional justice and who has written extensively on the experiences of South Asians on the hockey rink, a well-known site of Canadian cultural citizenship.  Thomas Park, Vice President of the Business Development Bank of Canada, Chair of the Banff Forum and alumnus of McGill, Harvard and Dartmouth  recently penned an op-ed in the Toronto Star entitled “The Era of the Model Minority ends in the face of anti-Asian racism.”  Noah Weisbord is an Associate Professor in the Queen’s University Faculty of Law, a leading expert on  individual criminal responsibility leading to aggressive war with a research focus on criminal law in the management, reflection and even exacerbation of intergroup conflict.

Each share their thoughts on the roots of anti-Asian racism to the present day; discuss political, press and police responses to violence directed at Asian Canadian community members; share ideas on the divisions and solidarities between these communities and with other racialized groups in Canada; and also discuss ways in which we can build a safer more inclusive culture and society.

Established in 2019, THE Impact Rankings assess a university’s societal impact based on the UN’s SDGs, a set of goals outlining a universal call to action to protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. Using carefully calibrated indicators across four broad areas –research, outreach, teaching, and stewardship – THE Impact Rankings are a recognition of those who are working today to build a better tomorrow.

Principal Deane sheds light on THE Impact Rankings and 17 Sustainable Development Goals; where Canada placed highest in Canada, North America and the world; and the herculean task undertaken by the University’s team to create a winning submission that included about 600 pieces of evidence to support the University’s candidacy.  Deane also talks about the opportunities and challenges the Sustainable Development Goals themselves present to universities and how Queen’s may build on its achievements moving forward.

On behalf of CFRC, congratulations to Queen’s University on these outstanding achievements.

Their research shows a unique example of direct vertebrate to vertebrate transmission of a useful gene, analogous to genetic modifications that can be carried out in a laboratory.

How did the gene jump the species barrier? Check out this episode and learn more from Drs. Davies and Graham.

In this episode, Dr. Kimberly Woodhouse, Vice Principal (Research) and Professor, Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University joins us.  Dr. Woodhouse sheds light on the groundbreaking research CFI is now funding at Queen’s and also gives us a bird’s-eye view into the processes behind developing and securing major funding applications, and the work her office does to support faculty members and fellows at Queen’s to secure grants and collaborators.  A fascinating discussion all around and particularly useful for early career researchers including graduate students.

See the story in the Queen’s University Gazette.

Note: Dr. Gyawali’s 4-year-old daughter Bibhika makes a few audible musical appearances in the background at various points in our conversation as Dr. Gyawali worked at home at the time of this recording.

Dr. Ellis and her large team of colleagues received over $223,000 in federal funding to conduct this study that will involve student subjects across several FHS departments.  Dr. Ellis chats with us about how the study will be conducted, the outcomes it is expected to achieve, and critically, as how it will inform pandemic management policies and procedures implemented by Universities and Public Health Units as Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer noted about the study.

In the second segment of this episode, we chat with Dr. Richard van Wylick, Associate Dean (Professional Development) & Associate Professor General Pediatrics  in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s.  We chat about the collaborative work Dr. Wylick and his teammates in FHS conducted with peers at other medical schools in Canada to develop a critical and innovative new curriculum to be implemented across all medical schools in Canada that will ensure future physicians are better prepared to address the opioid crisis.

The team’s pivotal research has revealed that current cancer research efforts do not match the global burden of deaths from the disease.  Dr. Gyawali talks about the impetus behind the study, its pivotal results and implications, and recommendations for cancer research moving forward.

We chat about this important achievement but spend much of our conversation talking about a lifetime of research adventure.  Dr. Duffin shares her story of how as a young, underemployed hematologist living in France went to Sorbonne to study the History of Medicine.  We also learn about the fascinating story of how the Vatican tapped her medical expertise and testimony that ultimately led to the canonization of Marie-Marguerite d’Youville.

We learn more about her deep catalogue of research and writing producing numerous books ranging on subject matter such as medical miracles, pandemics, a recent memoir published on behalf of a friend, and a fascinating tale about a Canadian medical expedition to Easter Island in the mid-1960s, an expedition that left unfinished business-business that Dr. Duffin herself explored in that remote Chilean territory.  Finally, we also learn about her advocacy around the need to remediate shortages of prescription drugs.

This is a joyful conversation about a lifetime of research adventure.  Put on a pot of coffee, get cozy, and enjoy!

*Note…due to a second province-wide Cogeco internet outage occuring just prior to this conversation, scrambling for an internet connection led to off site recording with a laptop and no studio mics.  Another adventure!

Dr. Kevin Deluzio, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University joins us in this episode.  From him, we learn a great deal about the new Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology Momentum Fellowships (IBET) which address an urgent need to encourage, support and improve inclusion to the pursuit of doctoral studies in engineering by under-represented groups that have been ignored as potential candidates for academia, thus eliminating representation that has hindered Canadian Indigenous and Black student enrolment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) programs.

In this conversation, Dr. Deluzio sheds light on how and why conversations about representation began among the six institutions, the current landscape of Black and Indigenous representation in Engineering, how IBET will change this landscape, and how the new program will work in practice with the overall aim to mentor and train new generations of Black and Indigenous faculty increasing diversity in Canadian technology industries as graduates enter the workforce with degrees from STEM programs.

In the second portion of our program, we feature a conversation with Dr. Kornel Wolak, Concert Clarinetist and Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the Dan School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University.  Dr. Wolak chats with us about the innovative new online Music Mentorship Program geared towards high school students with artistic inclinations that he and his colleague Michael Bridge have launched in collaboration with the Dan School, The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Faculty of Arts and Science.  Dr. Wolak elaborates on what the program has to offer youth thinking about careers in music with guidance from industry professionals.

Following our chat in the broadcast version aired January 20th 2021 on CFRC 101. 9 FM, we also featureda lovely song performed by Kornel Wolak and Chris Donnelly from their collaborative album Common Ground (Alma Records, 2013)  The song is called Tico Tico No Fuba written by the Brazilian composer, Zequinha De Abreu.

In this episode, we learn about public banks and their significance and their role in relieving financial challenges for households, small businesses and even whole communities.  We learn more about what authors in this collection suggest about best practices and areas for improvement vis-a-vis response to the global pandemic and changes that might be made to make public banks more equitable, democratic and sustainable moving forward.

Dr. Simpson, who will overtake his new position on February 1st 2021 while still maintaining a faculty position at Queen’s and his clinical work at KHSC, takes a break from his very busy schedule to chat with us about his new role; the critical balance between his research, administrative work and critical practice; leadership and goalsetting; and even some advice for students thinking about careers in medicine.

Following our talk with Dr. Simpson, this episode also has news updates from around campus including information on university closure and access during the provincial lockdown until January 23rd, the appointment of five female academics at Queen’s to the Royal Society of Canada, and an upcoming SGPS townhall meeting on January 9th 2021.

After our conversation with Dr. McKittrick, our chat with Matthew Duda, PhD Candidate in the Department of Biology begins around the 45 minute mark.  Duda joins us to talk about his research team’s recent discovery that a storm petrel seabird colony in Atlantic Canada is now only 16% of its potential size, and that this small size is likely the result of nearby European settlement from over 200 years ago.  Join us and learn more about the discovery, the science behind it, and the implications for both research and conservation.

Drummond discusses a white paper he co-wrote that calls for revolutionizing Canada’s approach to seniors’ care entitled ‘Aging Well.”  He talks about the current state of care for Canadian seniors, issues COVID-19 has revealed, the costs and benefits of long term care vs. home care, Canada’s need for investing in homecare, and the ultimately the long term implications and costs future generations will bear.

Image by Jovan Matic.

Polytechnique created the scholarship as a to the victims as well as the wounded, the families, the faculty members, the employees and the students who were forever affected by the Dec. 6th 1989 Montreal Massacre. White roses have become the symbol of Polytechnique Montréal’s commemorative activities to mark the tragedy.  The 30,000 scholarship is awarded annually by the Polytechnique administration to a woman engineering student who intends to undertake graduate studies in engineering (master’s or PhD) at the institution of her choice, in Canada or elsewhere in the world.

Ms. Thorsen chats with us about her research, her work on Aboriginal Access to Engineering, the scholarship she has won, and the challenges she and other women and Indigenous peoples have faced building careers in STEM disciplines.

After our chat with Ms. Thorsen, around the 18:40 mark, we open a new segment with Nikolas Yuen, Kingston-based vocal artist, actor, and host of CFRC’s jazz program Shed Progressions (Mondays, 11 PM EST).  Nik joins us to chat about MAW: A Community Celebration of Vocal Arts taking place December 12th 2020.

When we think of the vocal arts, we tend to think of singing – the sonically pleasing, broadly accessible, and widely popular sounds that vocalists make. But what about other vocal arts and practices, to which some dedicate themselves with all of the passion and hard work of the most celebrated singers. Are bird calls, auctioneering, ventriloquism, and sound healing somehow the products of a lesser commitment to craft?

The Kingston Frontenac Public Library, King Con, and the Tone Deaf Festival are co-presenting Georgia Webber’s immersive concert series, “MAW,” which will attempt to answer this question and the celebrate the human voice in all its permutations. Often blurring the roles of audience and performer, “MAW: A Community Celebration of the Vocal Arts” brings together an array of vocalists to perform and reflect on their vocal arts. At this Kingston edition of MAW audiences will hear from local artists like Nik Yuen who chats with us here about his vocal arts, his artistic work in the community, and his craft.

Following our discussion with Dr. Garner, this episode also features campus news updates on the University’s new food service partnership with Aramark Canada, NSERC’s new  research award named for Nobel Laureate Dr. Arthur McDonald, and Queen’s students Matthew Hynes and Jevon Marsh’s selection as 2021 Rhodes Scholars.

In our conversation, Deluca explains what college and university admissions tests like SATs and ACTs actually measure, why these tests have come under scrutiny and how COVID 19 has amplified this scrutiny.  In particular, we chat about arguments for and against testing as an objective metric upon which students are evaluated in light of the equity issues and disparities including racial and cultural bias testing may both reveal and exacerbate.  Finally, Deluca also sheds light on the critical role teachers can and do play in assessments for students while offering advice to parents of teens thinking about applying to study at a university.

Dr. McDonald chats with us about the book, magnifying some of the disparities in relation to water access and water operator preparedness and response that COVID-19 has magnified, the kinds of responses and collaborations that are underway,  the role played by consumers, and stones left unturned with research including public banks, the topic of the forthcoming companion volume to Public Water and Covid 19.

Prof. Hird talks about the Federal Government’s October 7th ban of single use plastics in Canada by the end of 2021, potential unintended consequences of this ban on the environment, businesses and consumers, the work researchers like her do to identify and develop sustainable alternatives, and a few preliminary insights on her upcoming book entitled Canada’s Waste Flows with McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Professor McDonald chats with us about his collaborative work with Canadian and international colleagues on the Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM) project.  Canadian members of the MVM announced today (Sept 30th 2020) that Health Canada has given Vexos Inc. authorization to manufuacture and supply 10,0000 ventilators in Canada to treat patients most severely affected by the COVID-19 virus.

Professor McDonald discusses the work, how his expertise in particle astrophysics translates into the research and development of a critical medical device, the processes for selecting a manufacturer and moving the prototype into the manufacturing phase now that Health Canada has approved the production of this life-saving equipment.

Learn more about Dr. Airton’s extensive research, advocacy and more by visiting leeairton.com!

Campus and Kingston community members can find the most up-to-date information on COVID safety measures on the Queen’s University Website.

Information about tickets can be found here

About the photograph:

"Love Under the Microscope” by Dalila Villalobos

As pathologists in training, we are constantly reminded that both human cellular responses and the most deadly medical conditions can be unexpectedly beautiful under the microscope. We are trained to be detail oriented and to understand disease in all its forms because abnormalities will only present to the eye that knows what to look for. This photo captures a normal prostatic gland with its characteristic double layer and irregular branching. The moment we diagnose a benign condition in a patient that is anxiously awaiting results is always rewarding. But, if, on top of that, we see heart-shape glands, it is inspiration.

Location of photograph: Kingston Health Sciences Centre Researcher Affiliation: MD, Resident, Anatomical Pathology Submission Year: 2018-19

Photo by Tim Forbes

Music: Gabriel Fauré - Requiem : 'In Paradisum'

Music:

Bon Iver, "Holyfields" Shotgun Jimmie, "401" YoungGuv, "Roll with Me"

Music: Hawksley Workman, "Song of Summer," 2019

Don't forget, Daniel Woolf has also been a CFRC volunteer for eight years hosting his long running, perennial popular jazz program, Dark Glasses! You can tune in each Monday at 2 PM EST to CFRC 101.9 FM (or stream/download archives at cfrc.ca).

Photo courtesy of the Queen's Gazette featuring Amanda Brissenden (centre) with School of Graduate Studies Dean Fahim Qadir (left) and Principal Daniel Woolf (right) following her 3MT win at Queen's.

Special Thanks to Queen's University Rector Alex da Silva and Matteke Hutzler, Office of Advancement for their assistance in setting up our time with the newest members of the Tricolour Society!

Music: James Francies-Leaps; David Ullman Group-Vortex; Lucia Jackson-When You're Smiling

Music embedded in this podcast includes: John Legend "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Karen Carpenter "Merry Christmas Darling" Diana Krall "Christmas Time is Here"

Sydney Downey, staffer in Queen’s Human Resources and Committee member for the Thrive Initiative at Queen’s joins us in studio to discuss mental wellness and fitness and the many activities the Thrive Committee is engaged in to facilitate wellness among faculty, staff and students at Queen’s!

Melinda Knox and Adrian Kelly of University Research Services join us in studio to discuss the many services offered at URS, the ways in which URS promotes research and researchers at Queen’s University, and upcoming initiatives including a public lecture series and a new research website!

Jeremy Mosher, President of the Queen’s University Alumni Association joins us in studio to talk about QUAA, why Alumni should stay connected with and give back to Queen’s and shares insights about Homecoming Weekend activities happening at Queen’s from October 19th-21st 2018!

Episode Airs September 12th on Wednesday August 22nd 2018 on CFRC 101.9 FM. Missed it? Download it through CFRC 101.9 FM’s online archive or stream the podcast through iTunes, Google Play or Stitcher!

September 5 – Dr. Christo Aivalis (PhD’15), historian and current SSHRC Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto joins us in studio to discuss themes and arguments raised in his new monograph, The Constant Liberal: Pierre Trudeau, Organized Labour, and the Canadian Social Democratic Left (UBC Press 2018) ahead of his book launch at Novel Idea bookstore in Kingston on September 11th.  Dr. Aivalis also shares insights on the ins and outs of developing his doctoral research at Queen’s into this ground-breaking book.

Episode Airs September 5th 2018 on CFRC 101.9 FM. Missed it?  Download it through CFRC 101.9 FM’s online archive or stream the podcast through iTunes, Google Play or Stitcher!

August 22nd – Alicia Boutilier, Chief Curator & Curator of Canadian Historical Art at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre joins us in studio to discuss the recent pilot project Art Worlds: A User’s Guide in collaboration with the Smith School of Business MBA Program. She also discusses exhibitions now under way as of August 25th, including Tau Lewis‘s When Last You Found Me Here exhibit.

Episode Aired 5 PM on Wednesday August 22nd 2018 on CFRC 101.9 FM. Missed it? Download it through CFRC 101.9 FM’s online archive or stream the podcast through iTunes, Google Play or Stitcher!

Want to learn more about Indigenous Alternative Dispute Resolution?  Find out more from Jane Glassco Northern Fellow & this year’s ADR James L. Thistle Q.C. Law Student Essay Contest winner, Don Couturier, a student in the Queen’s University Faculty of Law.  Mr. Couturier discusses ADR, his paper, his studies, and his goals in this installment of Campus Beat.

April 25th – Francine Berish, the Geospatial Data Librarian and Sarah Bartlett, the Open Scholarship Services (OSS) Intern with Queen’s University Library visit us to discuss the upcoming Queen’s University Data Day event taking place at Douglas Library in May. They also share insights on the services faculty, staff, students, and community members can access through OSS and the importance of researchers’ cross-communications ahead of anticipated mandates and changes related to Tri-Council funding.

April 18th – Gage Benyon (ArtSci ’19) joins us to talk about his work as a student caller and Communications and Scheduling Coordinator with Queen’s Telefundraising Services under the University’s Office of Advancement. He also shares insights on managing a busy work schedule with a very busy undergraduate academic calendar while telling us a lot about the skills he’ll take onward to his future career and of course why it’s important to give and for Alumni to stay connected to Queen’s.

Deputy Provost (Academic Operations and Inclusion) Teri Shearer, Stephanie Simpson-Executive Director and University Advisor on Equity and Human Rights and Mona Rahman, Coordinator-Research Activities and Communications in the Office of the Vice Principal Research join us today.  They discuss UCARE– the Queen’s University Council on Anti-Racism and Equity- its goals, initiatives, mandate and more.

Professor Sam McKegney and PhD Candidate Sarah Kent joined us on Campus Beat, CFRC 101.9 FM to discuss grad studies, grad life and the new MPhil program in the Queen’s University Department of English.  Tune in to Campus Beat each Wednesday at 5 PM EST!  Check out the website at www.cfrc.ca